Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-16

orably he had changed? For if he had
not changed, would not he have come
before?
The sound of the drawing-room bell
ringing violently about ten minutes
after made her start and become hot all
over. In few minutes she heard steps
advancing. She seized the pincushion
and turned it over and over in her fin.
gers. But it was only the maid with a
message from Aunt Judy: "Would
Miss Gay please go to the drawing
room?"
| The lime had come.
As soon as the maid had disappeared
Gabrielle fled to her room and looked at
herself critically in the mirror. She had
on white gown. 1t was clean and
soft. looking, so she would not change it;
but quickly arranging her bright curly
hair, and taste ming cluster of red roses
in her dress, she gave one parting look at
her pretty, erect figure, and ran down
stairs.
With a heart beating to suffocation
she opened the door, closed it behind
her, and walked slowly into the middle
of the room.
Theodore rose as she entered, and the
two stood looking at each other, half
the length of the room between them;
he tall, slight, strong, his fair face
| flushed and eager, his keen blue eyes
looking questioningly into hers; she
| erect, steady eyes answering bis.
"How do you do?" they said, stiff1y,
and then Gay retired to the window
seat, and Theodore, sitting down again
by Aunt Judy, continued the converse
| ton with her,
| 1t was all over in a moment. They
had met again, but oh! how different
was this from the ng.hoped-for meet
ing! Gabrielle felt that she must accept
her fate. Once friends, they were now
little more than strangers. 1t was true
they had both changed.
The afternoon passed like dream.
| To sit in the same room with him, to be
within sound of that thrilling voice,
was happiness enough, even with that
dark grea. gulf that lay between them
gulf that Gay vaguely believed would
never be bridged over.
Theodore's absolute self.possession
gave the girl courage. Insensibly the
conscious hauteur of her manner
changed into quiet Indifference. She
answered without embarrassment, look
ing straight at him as she spoke, until
at last she gained confidence enough
even to address him.
When tea was brought in, Gay served
it and when, as he took the cup from
her hand, their fingers touched, the
grave eyes looking into his did swerve
for moment. though the tell tale color
famed instantly into her cheeks.
The conversation, which otherwise
might have been somewhat constrained.
was carried on briskly enough. for Aunt
Judy was never at loss. and her de-
| lightful Inconsistencies Of the situation
soon put the others at their ease. Her
interest in and affection for her nephew
increased every moment, for Theodores
manner, his modesty and manliness, were
| winning.
Although he had much to tell, he
spoke but little of himself. He hal
been working hard abroad, and needed
rest, as his health was suffering. Find
ing his native town busily engaged in
holiday making, he had come uown to
visit an old college friend of his at Leafy
End, a village two or three miles dis
tant from Leafy Lane, where he hoped
to enjoy the quietude that he needed.
Aunt Judy was all sympathy. "What
was the matter with him, then? She
had never heard that he was delicate. "
And then she begged to know the
symptoms, as she had certain cures for
everything in her medicine chest
But Theodore laughed and waived
the question saying that the country air
had done him good already, and that he
hoped to star until he was really quite
we'll.
Theodore Marston did stay. For a
whole week he came aud went. flashing
through the dreariness of "Ennui House"
like sun ray or snatch OF song. Many
walk they had-he and Gabrielle
round the old fashioned garden, but
Aunt Judy was always between them;
and when, in the moonlight, Gabrielle
sat singing at the piano, the songs were
always Aunt Judy's favorites, while the
good old lady herself sat wide awake in
the big arm chair, beating time with her
knitting needle. So the barrier re-
mained, while they seemed content to
accept its existence, looking calmly at
each other across it, as if they would not
have it otherwise.
But at last there came day when
Gabrielle, having escor, ed her aunt to a
sewing meeting at friends house about
half mile away, and having kissed her
little gloved hands through the great
gates, turned-and found herself face to
face with Theodore Marston.
| They shook hands in silence.
| T,,I Ix,se ta q
ing. She didn't take me because don't
sew well enough" said Gay in hurried
explanation.
Il am going your way; may l walk
with you?" said Theodore, 10 answer.
"Oh certainly, if you like;" and she
slackened her pace little.
Its lovely day. isn't it?' said he
grimly.
eyes; the summer has begun well
enough. We shall have the dog roses
out soon," said she.
"Yes, I see," looking on the groun d
as he spoke.
Then they walked some minutes in
silence.
"How much longer is this to go on?'
he broke out at last. "Have we not
dissembled long enough? Forgive me.
Gay" seeing her startled look, "but l
cannot attain to your unimpassioned
philosophy"
The quick color came and went in Ga
brielle's cheeks. She looked down, but
made no reply.
"You may despise me; know you do.
For four whole years have striven with
may passion, for four whole years it has
been my life's endeavor to efface the
memory of you, and the end of it is that
1 have come back again, meek, submis-
sive, humbled, fawning at your feet.
Think what you will of me-you never
thought too well-but don't send me
| ,.o.x, A1tbo,, Il Won ho vo vurnn ~.